\documentclass[char]{castle}
\begin{document}

\name{\cAssistant{}}

\cenquote{``One has to pay dearly for immortality; one has to die several times while one is still alive.''}{-- Friedrich Nietzsche}

The voices echo through your head. Arguing. Shouting. Demanding. They make it difficult to concentrate at times, but you find the cacophony oddly comforting. Since the centuries took everyone else you knew from you, the voices are the only friends you have left. Though hopefully they will let you have \cRomeo{} too. It has been so long since you had someone who did not live inside your head. Not since you were that brash, young explorer.

As a young \cAssistant{\human} you set your sights on exploring the world. You saw the ruins of Norumbega, visited the halls of the Fire King, evaded the Snake Tribes in the jungles of Elatni, and found the lost city of Atlantis. It was the last that ended your career---where the voices found you. Clever traps ensnared you as a great machine forced the voices of the deceased into your brain. You fought against them for months, for reasons that you can no longer recall. The voices spoke secrets into your ears. A tale of a great city destroyed in a great flood just as their plans for world domination were about to be implemented. They taught you many things. The secrets of mind control. The secrets to manipulating the wills of the masses. The secret to immortality.

That was almost four centuries ago. Since that time you have slowly been laying groundwork for their return. Masters to curb the ugly impulses found within human nature. Voices to keep each man and woman company on lonely nights. Great edifices built to the glory of your masters. It will be so glorious once they return.

Unfortunately, there is much work the be done before that can happen. The voices do now know which enemy destroyed them, but there is much worry that their old foe lies in waiting should they awake again. This is why you must be careful, laying groundwork slowly for their return. Recruiting others only when you can be sure that it will go unnoticed. Slowly gathering the equipment needed to revive the hosts of Atlantis. Fortunately, with the immortality serum they helped you prepare for yourself, you have all the time in the world.

And so you spent the centuries preparing the way for the return of your ancient masters. The masses are so predictable. Greedy and short-sighted. It is simple for one with understanding to manipulate them. A well-placed speech, a bribe of a key official, or a timely assassination and the path of a culture would change. Small changes, paving the way. You encouraged demilitarization, that your masters would have an easier time in conquering the world they returned to, centralization to accustom people to their rule, and suppression of the arts through luxury taxes so that the Atlantean culture would more swiftly come to dominate. It was nearly a century before you noticed the interference. A sudden change of heart in a key figure distrusted your plans. A trade embargo altered public perception at a critical time. This was no coincidence. Other agents understood enough to oppose you. Possibly even agents of the destroyers of old Atlantis.

And so you waged your grim war for centuries, with only the voices to keep you company, slowly watching your faith in humanity die along with your reasons to live. Well, reasons beyond the need to finish the unending task before you. Sometimes you hoped that the voices would let you die once your task had been finished. That was before you met \cRomeo{}. \cRomeo{\They} was the eldest son of the \familyA{} family---a family whose location makes them ideal for an early staging grounds of the eventual Atlantean invasion. It was originally to gain their trust that you began work as a lab assistant for \cRomeo{}, that you might later let the voices into their minds.

It quickly became apparent that despite \cRomeo{\their} position as heir to the great house, that \cRomeo{} was not actually a spark. But rather than despair at \cRomeo{\their} lot in life and rail against the unfairness of the world, \cRomeo{\they} seemed content. \cRomeo{} somehow ignored the wretchedness of the world or managed to see it as beautiful despite its flaws, and while you were with \cRomeo{\them}, you could not help but see it as the same.

And so you stayed with \cRomeo{\them}. You put off your plans to ensnare \cRomeo{\their} family (after all, you had forever to accomplish your goals). With your ``assistance'', \cRomeo{\they} quickly became a spark of some note---which caught the attention of his ambitious brother \cYounger{}. \cYounger{} appeared to want \cYounger{\their} \cPatriarchA{\parent}'s inheritance for \cYounger{\themself}. You foiled several of \cYounger{}'s assassination attempts against \cYounger{\their} \cRomeo{\sibling}, you think, without either of them catching on. You doubt that you've seen the last of these attempts, but you cannot afford to let \cYounger{\them} succeed.

The need to figure out your long term plans for \cRomeo{} recently became apparent when he returned from Wulfenbach's demonstration infatuated with \cJuliet{\full}---the youngest \cJuliet{\offspring} of the rival house. Although such a romance is probably doomed to failure, you don't have the heart to dissuade him. But whether \cRomeo{\they} succeeds or not, \cRomeo{\they} will die within a few score of years if you do not act now. You still recall the old Atlantean secrets to immortality. The mechanisms for drying and preserving the organs, and sealing the body against the loss of vitality are difficult but not inordinately so. The major obstacle is the requirement for a single, rare ingredient---\immortalium{}. You have scarcely heard tell of this compound in the all the centuries you have wandered the earth, but fortunately, \cRomeo{}'s father has recently discovered a small sample in the family mines. The old fool doesn't know the value of what he has stumbled upon. If only you could convince him to extract it and leave it in your hands, you could ensure that \cRomeo{} will be there for you forever. You and \cRomeo{\them} and the voices. For all time.

This business with the castle may prove an opportunity for you. Of course you came as \cRomeo{}'s trusted assistant---and as far as anyone else is concerned all of the inventions are really his---but there is much you must do on your own. There are minds to be warped to the will of your dread masters here. There is a castle that influences the people of Europa and by altering it you might save yourself decades of subtle machinations. Of course you must be sure to protect \cRomeo{} from his treacherous younger \cYounger{\sibling}. And find the \immortalium{} necessary to make him immortal so that once his current love fades and dies, the two of you might live to see the return of Atlantis together.

\begin{itemz}[Notes]
\item You are pretty thoroughly brainwashed by the dead Atlanteans.
\end{itemz}

\begin{itemz}[Goals]
\item Figure out who destroyed Atlantis the first time.
\item Brainwash as many important people as possible.
\item Manipulate the castle to support decreased militarization and if possible, increased centralization and luxury taxes.
\item Protect \cRomeo{}, and prevent others from learning of his lack of talent.
\item Acquire \immortalium{}. Make \cRomeo{} immortal.
\end{itemz}

\begin{itemz}[Contacts]
 \contact{\cRomeo{}} A wonderful, miraculously happy person. You must ensure that \cRomeo{\they} remains safe and by with you. Forever.
 \contact{\cJuliet{}} \cRomeo{}'s current infatuation. A member of a rival family.
 \contact{\cYounger{}} \cRomeo{}'s ambitious younger \cYounger{\sibling}. \cYounger{\They} has been trying to usurp \cRomeo{}'s position for some time now.
\end{itemz}

%IMMORTALS:
% Centralization +
% Militarization --
% Luxery Taxes +

\end{document}
